The First Crack In The Glass
Theo didn’t go directly back to his dorm that night. Instead, he spent a few hours wandering the halls of his school. He even went outside for a quick breath of fresh winter air before he finally decided to head back. He knows Mattheo is waiting for him. Theo’s eyes gently glide across the glass of a broken window in the common room. Cracks are slowly spreading all throughout. Soon it’ll burst, he thinks.
Theo keeps quiet. He doesn’t utter a single word when he goes back into their dorm. Mattheo is already in bed, laying on his side. He isn’t asleep but Theo pretends to believe that he is.
Theo slowly gets into bed, facing away from his friend.
In the morning, Theo awakens before Mattheo. He knows that he has to get their dorm for himself if he wants to figure out about Mattheo’s past. Whatever Snape had said last night, was obviously regarding Mattheo. Theo knows that Mattheo would make up an excuse if he asked him directly so he has to get creative.
“Matt,” he hisses, throwing one of his pillows directly at Mattheo’s face. Mattheo groans, grabbing the pillow to scowl at his friend. “What?”
“We need to do something today,” Theo explains, “I cannot stand this silence for another day.”
Mattheo sighs. “It is almost Christmas. Can’t it wait?”
Theo shakes his head no. “I’ve got an idea.”
Mattheo questions his entire existence as he follows Theo down an empty hallway towards the library. It is early in the morning and the two of them have not passed anyone on their venture yet.
Theo silently opens the doors to the library, slipping in without a sound. Mattheo follows him, still blissfully unaware of where this whole plan is going. He blindly follows Theo until he takes a halt right before the restricted section. “Theo,” Mattheo pauses, looking at the entrance with wide eyes.
Theo looks back at him. “Yes?”
“This is a horrible idea, you’re aware of that right?” Mattheo asks, looking around as if to see if anyone’s watching.
“I need the book for this prank,” Theo responds, spinning around and entering without a second thought, “are you helping me or not?” Theo glances back at Mattheo who hesitates but ultimately follows his friend.
Once they get inside, Theo instructs Mattheo of what to do and where to look for this supposed potions book that he apparently needs. They split up, each heading in different directions.
The restricted section is very old and dirty. Spiderwebs hang on the walls and a thick layer of dust covers any possible surface.
Theo knows this part of the library like the back of his hand. Mattheo however does not. He uses this to his advantage and accidentally stumbles into an old load of books on the ground. The books tumble down and each land on the old wooden floor with loud thuds. “Merlin!” He cusses, grabbing Mattheo’s attention from across the room. “Hide!” Theo exclaims and quietly slips through a hidden doorway and out of the section without ever getting caught.
Mattheo feels his heart skip a beat as he hears Theo from across the room. A million thoughts rush through his mind but his body doesn’t seem to move.
Theo hears the sound of hurried footsteps in the distance as he rushes down a completely dark hallway.
He tiptoes through quiet halls and peaks his head around corners until he’s back at the dungeons. He enters his dorm quietly, locking the door behind him.
He kneels down beside Mattheo’s bed, pulling out a trunk. There’s a lock on it but luckily he’s prepared. No prankster succeeds without knowing how to pick a lock.
He opens the trunk, slowly letting his hand glide across the variety of things. There are clothes, books and other essentials all within but none of those things catches his eyes. Instead, his eyes land on what seems to be an old letter at the very bottom of the trunk. Theo hesitates, his hand reaching out but slowly drawing back. This seems too personal, perhaps it is a bad idea to rummage through his friend’s things.
He thinks back to Snape in Dumbledore’s office. They will figure out who he is eventually.
Theo’s hand grabs the letter and pulls it out from underneath an old knitted jumper.
Mattheo Riddle it reads on the front in a nice cursive writing.
Theo’s eyes widen and his mouth falls open in shock. There’s a pounding in his chest and he almost feels like he’s going to be sick. Mattheo said his father was a bad man, but Theo had never imagined that his father would be The Dark Lord himself.
The letter had been opened before. Theo pulls out an old piece of parchment.
Dear Mattheo
It pains me that you must leave under such circumstances. I never thought it would come to this. If you’re ever willing to see me again, know that I will be waiting for you with open arms.
Love, your mother
Theo folds the paper up erratically. His hands are shaking as he puts the letter back where he found it. He shuts the trunk and locks the lock before sliding it back under the bed. He turns his back towards the bed, his right hand gripping his shirt above his heart. He pauses, trying to catch his breath. It feels like he’s just ran a marathon.
He hurriedly gets back on his feet and heads straight for his bed, falling down face first into the soft mattress. It is completely silent, and for a long time as well. The pounding in his heart sees no end and especially not once he hears footsteps approaching in the hallway on the opposite side of the wall.
Theo’s mind spins and he sits up quickly. The lock turns a few times and the door swings open to reveal Mattheo in the dim light of the hallway. Theo wants to yell. He wants to scream at Mattheo and tell him he’s a traitor and a liar for not telling them the truth about his family. But not a single word slips out from between his lips.
Mattheo sighs loudly, scratching the back of his neck. “Filch caught me,” he says, unaware of the dark secret Theo just discovered while he was away, “I had to beg him not to tell anyone.”
Theo opens his mouth to speak, and just as he feels as though he’s going to spill it all out, he stops. “Good,” he replies in the most steady voice he can muster.
“I thought you might’ve gotten into trouble,” he adds, putting on his best performance.
Mattheo shrugs and shuts the door behind him. He tosses his key into the air and catches it again. “Not this time.”
A shaky breath escapes Theo’s lips.
Theo couldn’t fall asleep that night. He spent the rest of the day pretending like nothing was wrong when in reality he felt completely torn. It took everything within him not to lash out at Mattheo at any given moment. Suddenly, it felt as though a switch had been flipped within him, and the urge to rip Mattheo’s head off overcame anything else. Everything Mattheo did set him off. Every word he spoke and every move he made, made Theo’s blood boil. He felt so betrayed. But he knew he couldn’t do anything. Not while all of his friends were away.
Theo falls completely silent. He knows that if he speaks, he won’t be able to lie anymore. If he opens his mouth, he’ll yell and cause ruckus right before Christmas. He doesn’t want that. Especially not without his best friends around to steady him again.
The following day when Mattheo tries to reach him, he doesn’t reply. He acts as if Mattheo doesn’t exist.
“Nott,” Mattheo tries, his voice raising slightly as he taps Theo’s shoulder, “what is it?”
Theo doesn’t say anything, he merely pulls his shoulder away from Mattheo. Mattheo bites down on his lip, an eerie feeling filling his body. “What happened?” Mattheo tries again, taking a few steps back from Theo who’s sitting on his bed with his back facing Mattheo.
Once Theo doesn’t reply the tenth time that Mattheo tries to speak to him, he finally stands up and rushes out, slamming the door on his way. Mattheo walks right past the broken window, wondering what went wrong.